| Sources |
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 5 Dec 2001.
Paul N. McAlister obituary
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 7 Jan 2009.
Forge couple angry over drainage issues
On Wednesday morning, amid the mud and standing water in the aftermath of a flood that damaged the house and destroyed the contents of a nearby barn, Ryan DeSear found something interesting in the front yard: a boxed version of Ganesha, the Hindu Goddess of Luck. It must have floated into the yard during the rains that brought the flooding.
The family was lucky in that the rising water from a drainage ditch next to their home never got into the house on Kings Hill Boulevard. They were lucky they didn't get trapped inside as the water rose quickly Tuesday afternoon and evening.
But the luck dissolved into some anger Wednesday as Ryan and Suzanne DeSear surveyed the damage. The front yard of the house they call their dream home is a soggy mess. Water destroyed the heating and air conditioning unit in the house's crawl space. The contents of the barn in the other side of the ditch are lost. And the DeSears are wondering if they should stay in the house they bought two years ago.
This much they believe: The city of Pigeon Forge needs to do something to improve the drainage in the neighborhood. DeSear thinks increased development above their home has overloaded three retention ponds in the area, all of which flow into a drainage ditch they say is not adequate to carry off water when there is a heavy rain like the area got this week.
"The culverts are too small," DeSear said as he walked the property. "The city has got to repair this. The ditch needs to be deeper and wider. I'll give them all the property they need to get that done."
The low-lying neighborhood, located off Sharon Drive near Eagle's Ridge cabin development, was evacuated Tuesday evening as the water rose.
DeSear, who is general manager of the Sevier County Ripley's attractions, never lost electricity or even cable TV at home, but the loss of heat has forced the family (they have a 4-year-old son) into a motel for several days.
He's one of the few people in the area with flood insurance, and that has paid off. An adjuster was on the property Wednesday surveying the damage and telling the couple what the policy would and wouldn't cover.
Flood insurance is underwritten by the federal government, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinates claims. The Sevier County Commission has refused to enter into an agreement with FEMA for flood insurance that could be available at reasonable rates to all homeowners, saying it would mean too much regulation over what and where things can be built.
DeSear says he got home from work about 5 p.m. Tuesday. Within an hour the water was over the culvert and rising.
"It was getting scary and bad," he said. "I said, we've got to get out."
DeSear says he and his wife are considering legal action against the city and the former homeowner who sold them the house.
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